A Song of Rock and Fire

Natan Lanncaster's Journal 11

Trouble in the Riverlands is about the last thing that I need right now. The “Warrior” takes three castles and the “nobles” of the area want me to crush them beneath the heel of my nice shiny boots.

But of course there was going to be a revolt after all the things that have been done to them! I’d rather stay in the capital and deal with the High Septon since, in essence, he’s the one behind it.

If I don’t go, then I’ll look weak and the tensions will rise until something gives.

If I do go and take care of it, someone walks away unhappy, whether it’s the lords or the smallfolk. Yet I’d rather deal with a handful of unhappy lords than with tens of thousands of workers.

I’ve seen a lot in Essos, and I’ve read my histories, Uncle Lons made sure of that, so I know how dangerous the people we see as “peasants” can be when they want to be.

…

That Lord Piper is a fool. I’m sure I haven’t heard the last of him.

I’m trying to help the entire realm avoid a catastrophe and he’s worried about his ego. He’s lucky his ego didn’t have to run into an army of thousands. I don’t care how ill equiped they are, they’d overwhelm guards and what forces they had left. And what’s worse, they’d do it from inside their own households, not on an organized battlefield.

I hope I made a stong enough example of him. I can’t have people in his position questioning me. Not with the country on the brink. Not with those reports from across the sea.

Should I have killed him? Mother might have. I don’t know if Father would. But then, people never talked to them that way to begin with. I can only do the best I can, I suppose.

I’d prefer a straight up fight, just me and someone else, where I can talk them over to my way instead. It would be far simpler.

At least I have the trial to look forward to.

I’ll finally be able to put the High Septon behind me as soon as we get back to King’s Landing and be able to relax.